Indian union government banned Communist Party of India (Maoists ) released a statement on Wednesday saying that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commando who had gone missing in the April 3 encounter in Chhattisgarh was in their custody.
The Maoists further said that the state government would announce a mediator and only then they would release the CRPF commando to the mediator.
The Chhattisgarh police has confirmed that the “letter is genuine.”
Speaking to media Bastar Inspector General (IG) P Sunderraj said, “In reference to the Naxal Attack that took place on April 3, the jawan of CoBRA namely Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, was abducted by Naxals and is in their captivity now. The search operations are underway.”
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a unit of the CRPF.
“Meanwhile, we have received a letter from the Maoists and have a brief idea about him.
We have confirmed the authentication of the letter. We are closely looking into the matter,” Sunderraj said.
The 2-page statement in Telugu signed by “Vikalp” on behalf of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists said 2,000 policemen had attacked them and that four People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) cadres were killed in the encounter at Tarrem on April 3.
It added that they had also taken away 14 weapons, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and other items belonging to the security personnel.
Also, a local journalist, Ganesh Mishra. said, “Recently, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas’s daughter released a video requesting the Maoists to hand over her father safely to the authorities.
In another communication by the Maoists, they have assured that they will release a video message of the jawan soon.”
“Also, if the state government cooperates (as per the Maoists), they will release the jawan within two days”, he added.
In the statement by the CPI (Maoist), the killed Naxal cadres were identified as Odi Sanni, Padam Lakhma, Kowasi Badru and Nupa Suresh, all residents of South Bastar.
Sanni’s body was recovered by security forces on April 3. They said that could not secure the body of Sunny.
Final rites of the remaining three were held with revolutionary traditions,” they stated.
The statement said that Madvi Sukkal, another villager, was also killed by police before the encounter.
The letter said that PM Modi led government had been trying to eradicate the Maoists from 2020. The letter said that a plan for massive attacks was being drawn up under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah.
They said the Maoists were ready for talks and accused the government of not being sincere.
“Planned to eradicate PLGA. The police were not the victims of the war brought by the ruling class.
The Maoists said in their letter that they would have to retaliate to protect the people, resources and public property,” read the letter.
It is be noted in a biggest attack where 22 security personnel lost their lives while 31 sustained injuries in an encounter that broke out between security forces and Naxals along the Sukma-Bijapur border on Saturday after a party of jawans was ambushed by Naxals near Jonnaguda village.
In 2018, Indian-controlled Kashmir saw the highest fatalities in terror-related violence in a decade with 451 deaths, according to the SATP. The last time this toll was exceeded was in 2008 when Congress held power.
Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldeep Singh on Sunday said that there was absolutely no intelligence or operational failure in the operation.
When it comes to left-wing insurgent groups in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has compared his government’s track record favourably to the previous Congress-led administration.
Mr Modi told the Swarajya magazine in July 2018: “Maoist violence has declined by 20% in the affected states with a concomitant reduction of 34% in deaths in 2017 compared to 2013.”
Maoist rebels, who are active in several eastern and central states, say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor.
Mr Modi’s figures about the decrease in fatalities match the official tally.
But according to the Home Affairs Ministry’s own reports, the declining trend in this type of insurgency actually began in 2011 under the previous government.
